Volume LVII, Number 1 newsletter of the San Francisco Folk Music Club Jan/Feb 2021 friends and families making home-grown music together

Dear SFFMC, Jas Adams Steps Down as Song Pages Co-Editor A heartfelt thank you to Jas Adams for your five years as 2020 has been quite a year with a profound impact on our song pages co-editor! We appreciate your dedication to the our folk community. Some of us have been struggling folknik and will miss having you on our editing team. with health issues, whether Covid-19 related or otherwise. We have lost some cherished members of our Welcome, Bob Loomis! SFFMC community. Our music gatherings have shifted We’re thrilled to announce Bob Loomis has joined us as !"#$%&$ to virtual spaces, and though we still gather together, we Co-Editor! Bob is a retired journalist and copy editor who formerly miss seeing and jamming with each other in person. worked for the Oakland Tribune, the Contra Costa Times and other For me, 2020 has been a year like no other. It’s been a newspapers . A singer/songwriter and published poet, he is now a cascading stream of stressful events, from being hit by a member of the Irish Newsboys Celtic folk song group. He is car, to my husband and seven-year daughter being held married, the father of two children, and has two grandsons.He at gunpoint (and a lot in between). And so, when I find plays guitar, ukulele, flute, penny whistle, and harmonica. myself leaning into loneliness and despair, I remind myself to take a step back, close my eyes, and reflect on Membership Renewals this year’s joys (and there are many). And, I’ve given by Ellen Eagan myself another challenge - to write out these joyous reflections as a sequence of six word memoirs that If this was a normal year, many of us would have renewed our highlight the good I’ve experienced amidst the membership already as part of Camp Harmony registration. It goes without saying, but I'll say it anyway, this is not a normal year. As overarching 2020 chaos. this year’s camp was free, there may not be the incentive to renew Supposedly, someone once challenged author Ernest your membership. Nevertheless, you should renew your Hemingway to write a six-word memoir. His story? membership, as the San Francisco Fok Music Club needs your dues “For sale: baby shoes, never worn.” More recently, to keep going as an organization. Author Larry Smith has popularized this brief story You can renew the old-fashioned way by printing out a membership writing form through the Six Word Memoir Project. form from the club's website (https://www.sffmc.org/join-us/), I invite you now to write your own six word memoir to complete the form and send it to the address on the form with your share with the SFFMC community. You can email your check made out to SFFMC. Or, you can renew the new-fashioned way by using the PayPal link on the club's website. You do not need six words to me at [email protected], and a PayPal account to do it. You will be using PayPal to charge your we’ll feature your stories in our February-March folknik. credit card. If you need a little inspiration, here’s a recent example from The New York Times, where readers shared words Please DO NOT go directly to PayPal and make a payment. When of gratitude. you do that, the membership secretary does not get notified of your renewal and the treasurer won't know what the payment is for. Nor My six word memoir for the SFFMC community? is there a chance for you to update, if needed, your contact Grateful for you, my folk family. information. Best wishes for 2021, The date of your membership expiration should be in the email that you get when a new issue of the folknik is available. You can also Donna Scarlett, Editor-in-Chief email [email protected] to ask about your memberhip expiration date.

can also email [email protected] to ask about your membership expiration date. Thank you! the folknik Vol. LVII, Number 1 Page 2 January/February 2021

The San Francisco Folk Music Club is a nonprofit corporation dedicated to the enjoyment, preservation and promotion of acoustic music in individual, family, and community life.

““He who sings frightens away his ills.” – Miguel de Cervantes

Board Members President: Ed Hilton ♦ Vice President: Hali Hammer Thad Binkley ♦ Charlie Fenton ♦ Bob Helliesen ♦ Daniel Hersh Amelia Hogan ♦ Phyllis Jardine ♦ Jerry Michaels ♦ Dave Sahn

2nd and 4th Friday Zoom Sessions Rise Again by Jim McCain (review) by Marlene McCall by James Keelaghan During the COVID pandemic, while it is unsafe for I often draw inspiration from books — I find stories folks to gather in real life to sing and play, the club’s usual or facts that can be woven into songs. 2nd and 4th Friday music meetings are being held via Zoom, My characters last for about five minutes. I have from 8:00 to approximately midnight, although of course never thought of going in the opposite direction and using participants are free to leave the session when they wish. a song as inspiration for a longer work. Upcoming Friday session dates are January 8, January Jim Cain of Rochester, NY, decided to do just that. 22, February 12, and February 26. In order to obtain the He’s taken Stan Rogers’s anthemic Mary Ellen Carter and link and the theme for each session, please sign up for the used it as the inspiration for his sprawling novel of the Harmony List here: https://groups.io/g/harmony. same name. He creates a back story for the story song: You can choose to participate in these Zoom sessions why had the skipper been drinking? Why did the mate via audio only, or audio with video, using a computer, feel no pain? How did she get so close to Three Mile tablet, or smart phone, and you can also participate via Rock anyway? audio only on a regular phone. Along the way, we learn about Transport Canada The sessions are structured like the real-life song safety regulations, a deep dive into salvage techniques, circles, with a theme for each session. For those who the finer points of feeding a crew at sea, and more. Cain haven’t attended Zoom sessions, a disadvantage is that has meticulously and exhaustively researched the everyone cannot sing and play together as in real life, due specialties that touch on his subject matter and weaves to what’s called latency, or a time gap. Therefore, as the them into his narrative for an — if you’ll forgive the pun turn moves from one song leader to the next, everyone — immersive experience. must be muted except for the songleader, although of Dyed-in-the-wool Rogers fans will get a kick out of the course all participants are encouraged to sing along/play way Cain brings in other songs from Stan’s canon. Emmett along from your home. Pierce, from Field Behind the Plow, shows up, as does a For the assistance of instrumentalists who are playing touching reference to the equally epic White Squall. along, please announce your key before starting your song. Peppered throughout the text are scannable QR Keep remarks brief (in between songs and while codes, which lead you to videos, articles, illustrations, and introducing songs) since others are waiting for their turn. websites that flesh out the experience and provide a Ed Hilton, club president, hosts the sessions. soundtrack for your reading. Debbie Klein usually keeps a list of the songs (on At 500 or so pages, it will keep you occupied for a theme) sung at each session, and I will print those here in good chuck of the remainder of the pandemic. the folknik when I can. While the amount of background research is impressive, the narrative would be more compelling with judicious editing as sometimes the story suffers from the weight of the details. This isn’t a deal breaker but while Board Meetings on Zoom: Second Tuesday of considering the editing, a larger font size wouldn’t go th th each month. January 12 and February 9 , 2020, both at amiss for aging eyes. 8:00 p.m. If you’d like to attend a board meeting, please The book is currently self-published and is available contact Ed Hilton, club president, at [email protected]. from www.teamworkandteamplay.com. the folknik Vol. LVII, Number 1 Page 3 January/February 2021 Singing "Rolling Down to Old Maui" In Hawaii? Sung on 11/13/20 – Winter by Peter Ross 40° Below Only a Lull in the Storm In the liner notes to his album Between the Breaks… Live!, that Ain’t no Sunshine Paint it Black included the song "Rolling Down to Old Maui", Stan Rogers When She’s Pussy Willows, Cattails commented, "Emily Friedman introduced this song to me in her Gone Santa Baby hotel room at the Mariposa Folk Festival in 1978, and I've loved it Are you Missing Me Seasons in the Sun ever since. It may very well be my favourite chorus song." Big River Snow Snow Bring Back the Light Soup I also love the song, which really gets people to sing along and is California Dreaming Thanksgiving Eve fun, and I would have no qualms about leading it outside of Canadian Love Try for the Sun Hawaii. But while I try not to be too PC, I would think twice Catnip Song Winter Shanty before singing it in Hawaii, especially on Maui. About four years Deepening Snow Winter’s Come and Gone ago, I worked with the Sierra Club on Maui for a week, and for Farewell My Love two days we were supervised by Hawaiians. I asked one if he Good-bye Pumpkin knew the song and he said no. So that night I dug out a photocopy song of the words I'd brought along, and I was going to sing it to them Ice Skating Jaywalking the next day. I showed our two Sierra Club leaders the words, as Josephine they were very knowledgeable about Hawaii. They discouraged Lady of Song me from doing so, as the "girls from Maui" were native girls who Last Train would swim naked out to the ships to have sex with sailors for Let it Snow trinkets, according to James Michener's book Hawaii, so it's a very Lies sensitive topic for native Hawaiians. Long Way to Travel Martin Short The song has its own Wikipedia page, which has no mention of New Harmony the song likely being offensive to native Hawaiians.

– – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – SAN FRANCISCO FOLK MUSIC CLUB Yearly membership levels (please check only one box):  $40 Standard  $20 Economy  $10 Low Income: or pay what you can I enclose $____ cash $____ check for ____ years membership in the San Francisco Folk Music Club. Additional donation to the SFFMC: $10______other amount $______. Total enclosed: $______. This entire amount may be tax-deductible. The SFFMC is a 501(c)(3) organization.

New member Renew or Extend Rejoin I want to know more about volunteer opportunities: Be sure you have checked a box for membership level and filled in Please call me the amount paid and the number of years. Please send me information by e-mail

Name: The Club produces a membership directory every few years for Club members only. If you wish that all or part of your Address: information not be included in the directory, please specify City: State: ZIP: below. Phone: ( ) ______- ______Please do not include the following information in the Club directory: E-mail (print clearly): Name Address Phone E-mail Web site:

Make checks payable to “SFFMC” and mail to: SFFMC – Dues, c/o Ellen Eagan, 149 Santa Maria Ave., San Bruno, CA 94066 For further information, email [email protected] or phone (650) 274-6413 6/1/2020 -�� -

the folknik Vol. LVII, Number 1 Page 4 January/February 2021 YOU'RE FIRED , tune: Yankee Doodle words: Holly Tannen c 2020 � -i :J :J J I :J J J I :J :J J I j j I got on ther Net tor - day to see what had transr - pir ed :J j J r I r r J j I J J j J I j j II ,- Bi - den says it's time to heal, so Mis ter Trump, you're fir ed! CHORUS: :J. J) :J J I :J J j I J. ] J J I J J ,- Mis - ter Trump go pack your bags Bid - en's been e lect ed j. J) :J J I :J J j :J I J j J J j j 11 ,- He'll be in the White House soon as it IS dis - Ill feet ed,

I got on the Net today Though you've two more weeks to spread To see what had transpired Falsehood and infection Biden says it's time to heal All the world can plainly see So Mr. Trump - you're fired! You've lost your erection .. .I mean election

CHORUS Chorus Mr. Trump, go pack your bags Biden's been elected Folks you trashedare glad you're gone He'll be in the White House soon Your lackeys wish you well - o As it is disinfected. Maybe you and Ghislaine Will get to share a cell - o. Functioning democracy Is what we've long desired Chorus Voters said it loud and clear "Mr. Trump - you're fired!" Orange pants to match your hair Now that you're retired Chorus While the women that you groped Sing "Mr. Trump- you're fired!" Go play one more round of golf Don't be sad or bitter LAST CHORUS You can still sit on the potty Welcome 2021 Tweeting tweets on Twitter. Farewell 2020 We have friends and family Chorus And we have songs a-plenty! the folknik Vol. LVII, Number 1 Page 6 January/February 2021

Regularly Scheduled Events Calendar as of 12/25/2020

All events are online (“virtual”) unless a location is provided. All times are PST.

Daily 9am: Daily Antidote of Song https://revelsdc.org/2020/daily-song/ Daily noon: Noony Toons with Shira Kammen https://www.facebook.com/Noony-Toons-105433457786556/ Daily 5:30pm: Quarantine Happy Hour https://www.facebook.com/groups/quarantinehappyhourmusic Daily 8pm: Meredith Axelrod & Craig Ventresco https://meredithaxelrod.com/

Every Sunday 11am: Southern CA Uilleann Pipers Club seminar http://socalpipers.com/piper_sunday.html Every Sunday noon: Margie Butler and Paul Espinoza https://www.facebook.com/goldenboughmusic Every Sunday noon: Sundays with Mary Gauthier https://www.youtube.com/officialmarygauthier Every Sunday 6pm: Michael McNevin https://www.facebook.com/mudpuddlemusic Every Sunday 7pm: Seattle song circle http://www.seafolklore.org/wp/about-sfs/seattle-song-circle/ 1st Sunday 1pm: SCVFA jams on Zoom, info: https://www.fiddlers.org/santa-clara-valley-jams/ 4th Sunday 1pm: Bluegrass & old-tIme jam, Ocean View Park, Santa Cruz, info [email protected] Every Monday 9:30am: vocal warm-up with Briget Boyle https://www.facebook.com/kitkavocalensemble Every Monday noon: Annie Patterson leads Rise Up Singing singalong https://www.riseupandsing.org/annie/concerts/online Every Monday noon: Mudcat Worldwide Singaround on Zoom, info: [email protected] Every Monday 4pm: John Whelan https://www.facebook.com/john.whelan.142 Every Monday 4pm: learn a tune w/Audrey Knuth, sign up at: http://www.audreyknuth.com/ Every Monday 6pm: Mark & Maggie O’Connor https://ourconcerts.live/shows Every Monday 7pm: Virtual World Harmony Chorus (1/11-2/15) https://instantharmony.com/virtualwhc.html Every Monday 7pm: Palo Alto jam on Zoom, info: [email protected] 2nd/4th Monday 7pm: Groundbreakin Trad Session https://www.meetup.com/irish-music-trad-session/events/qzgvrrybchbhc/ 3rd Monday 7:30pm: Bay Area Sacred Harp (BASH) sing on Zoom, info: [email protected] Every Tuesday 10am: Mark & Maggie O’Connor https://ourconcerts.live/shows Every Tuesday 4pm: virtual open mic (Boston) https://www.passim.org/live-music/club-passim/openmic/ Every Tuesday 6pm: The Ould Sod Irish session http://appcordions.com/zoom/ Every Tuesday 7pm: Andronico’s SF jam on Zoom, info: https://www.facebook.com/events/d41d8cd9/andronicos-virtual- old-time-jam-hosted-by-dinah-noah-stroe/579597072730396/ Every Wednesday 12pm: traditional Irish session on Facebook, info: [email protected] Every Wednesday 4pm: John Whelan’s slow Irish session on Zoom http://johnwhelanmusic.com/slow-session/ Every Wednesday 5pm: Jay Ungar & Molly Mason https://www.facebook.com/jayandmolly/ Every Wednesday 6pm: Open mic at Café Paradiso, Iowa https://www.facebook.com/OpenMicAtCafeParadiso Every Thursday 9:30am: vocal warm-up with Briget Boyle https://www.facebook.com/kitkavocalensemble Every Friday 3pm: The Sam Chase https://www.patreon.com/thesamchase Every Friday 7pm: Kathryn Rose https://www.facebook.com/kathrynrosefolk 1st Friday 7pm: Drum circle on Zoom, contact: [email protected] 1st Friday 8pm: CCE Irish/Scottish singing session on Zoom, info: [email protected] Every Saturday Noon: Irish seisiun outdoors, Summit House Beer Garden: 23123 Santa Cruz Hwy, Los Gatos 408-353-2700 https://www.facebook.com/summithousebeergarden/ Every Saturday 1pm: Sin Silver https://www.facebook.com/sin.silver.7 Every Saturday 2pm: John Whelan’s Master Session, performer/ticket: http://johnwhelanmusic.com/master-sessions/ Every Saturday 3pm: Bluegrass session outdoors, Summit House Beer Grdn: 23123 Santa Cruz Hwy, Los Gatos 408-353-2700 https://www.facebook.com/summithousebeergarden/ Every Saturday 6pm: Portland Folk Music Society song circle https://portlandfolkmusic.org/content.aspx?page_id=22&club_id=748368&module_id=350693 Every Saturday 6:30pm: Misner & Smith https://www.facebook.com/MisnerandSmith/ Every Saturday 7pm: ukulele jam, join https://www.meetup.com/San-Francisco-Ukulele-Meetup/ Every Saturday 8pm: The Black Donnellys https://www.facebook.com/theblackdonnellys 4th Saturday 11am: River City mountain dulcimer virtual jam, info: https://www.rivercitydulcimers.com/ the folknik Vol. LVII, Number 1 Page 7 January/February 2021

Event Calendar as of 12/25/2020 All events are online (“virtual”) unless a location is provided. All times are PST.

Scotland Online - various performers online https://scotlandonline.org/ Note concerts times are in the Scottish time zone (UTC+1). California time is 8 hours earlier.

Th Dec 31 2:30pm: Scottish Hogmanay w/St. Andrew’s Society of SF, tickets: https://www.tickettailor.com/events/saintandrewssocietyofsanfrancisco/450539 Th Dec 31 4pm: NYE Sea to Sea (US-wide dance party) https://nyedance.info/ Th Dec 31 5pm: Tune Supply virtual session w/Kennedy,O’Connor,Redmond,etc. https://www.youtube.com/tunesupply Th Dec 31 6pm: Auld Lang Zoom from Ashokan Center https://ashokancenter.org/auld-lang-zoom/ Th Dec 31 6pm: Ellis Paul https://www.facebook.com/events/194237719010858 Th Dec 31 7:30: QuaranPalooza: Goodbye 2020! tickets: https://cellojoe.com/quaranpalooza-goodbye-2020 Dec 31-1/3/2021 SFFMC Camp Harmony online https://www.sffmc.org/camp-harmony-online-this-year/ 2021 Fr Jan 1 8pm: Dave Monterey https://www.facebook.com/watch/lutherburbankcenter/644032859751138/ Sa Jan 2 1pm: Alasdair Fraser New Year Workshop & Ceilidh https://www.facebook.com/events/417455756271926/ Su Jan 3 4pm: Alisa Amador https://www.passim.org/stream/ Jan 7-10 Strings Without Boundaries online classes https://www.stringswithoutboundaries.com/ Jan 8-10 CBA Jam-A-Thon https://www.cbaweb.org/News/Article/19620 Jan 8-10 Upper Potomac Fiddle Retreat https://mailchi.mp/af65106f2e0b/upper-potomac-fiddle-retreat-january-8-10-2021 Fr Jan 8 5pm: Megan Schoenbohm https://www.facebook.com/watch/lutherburbankcenter/644032859751138/ Fr Jan 8 5pm: Nobody’s Girl https://www.passim.org/stream/ Fr Jan 8 8pm: SFFMC musical meeting, email [email protected] for Zoom link Sa Jan 9 4pm: John McCutcheon https://www.folkmusic.com/ Starting week of Jan 10: music classes from Freight & Salvage https://secure.thefreight.org/overview/158 Su Jan 10 1pm: waltz playing workshop w/Star Thistle https://sactocds.wordpress.com/ Su Jan 10 4pm: Audrey Knuth & Amy Englesberg https://sactocds.wordpress.com/ Tu Jan 12 8pm: SFFMC Board Meeting, email [email protected] for Zoom link Jan 14-18 Boston Celtic Music Festival https://www.passim.org/live-music/festivals_summer_series/bcmfest-2021/ Jan 14-17 Portland Old-Time Music Gathering https://bubbaguitar.com/gathering/ Jan 15-17 From Women’s Hearts and Hands Guitar Camp online http://womensheartsandhands.com/ Jan 15-17 Upper Potomac virtual Pipers weekend https://us12.campaign-archive.com/?e=__test_email__&u=38004ca2e2202c9d23ce7b59d&id=e32fc00ebb Jan 15-Feb 2 Celtic Connections Festival https://www.celticconnections.com/ Fr Jan 15 8pm: Rainbow Girls https://www.facebook.com/watch/lutherburbankcenter/644032859751138/ Sa Jan 16 4pm: John McCutcheon https://www.folkmusic.com/ Sa Jan 16 7pm: Let Her Sing https://thefreight.org/ Sa Jan 16 7pm: Electric Bonsai Band, tickets: http://www.seafolklore.org/wp/events/ Su Jan 17 4pm: Marla Fibish mandolin workshop & session w/SCVFA https://www.fiddlers.org/ Th Jan 21 5pm: Aki Kumar https://www.piedmontpiano.com/calendar/2021/1/21/aki-kumar Fr Jan 22 8pm: SFFMC musical meeting, email [email protected] for Zoom link Sa Jan 23 11am: bluegrass fiddle workshop w/Deanie Richardson https://thefiddlemercantile.com/collections/workshops Sa Jan 23 7pm: Jason Anick Acoustic Trio https://thefreight.org/ Jan 29-31 People’s Music Network virtual Winter Convergence https://peoplesmusic.org/ Sa Jan 30 7pm: Nina Gerber & Chris Webster https://thefreight.org/ Fr Feb 5: *** folknik Deadline *** Email materials to appropriate editor (see page 9) Feb 5-7: QuaranTUNE Virtual Dulcimer Festival 3.0 https://www.virtualdulcimerfest.com/ Feb 5-7: Winter Virtual Lark Camp https://www.larkcamp.org/ Feb 6-7: Ladysmith Black Mambazo – check if cancelled https://thefreight.org/ Sa Feb 6 11am: oldtime/bluegrass fiddle workshop w/Tatiana Hargreaves https://thefiddlemercantile.com/collections/workshops Su Feb 7 4pm: Rachel Bell & Becky Tracy https://sactocds.wordpress.com/ Tu Feb 9 8pm: SFFMC Board Meeting, email [email protected] for Zoom link Feb 12-14 West Coast Pipers Tionól http://www.sfpipersclub.org/tionol.html Fr Feb 12 8pm: SFFMC musical meeting, email [email protected] for Zoom link Sa Feb 20 11am: jazz fiddle workshop w/Jason Anick https://thefiddlemercantile.com/collections/workshops Fr Feb 26 8pm: SFFMC musical meeting, email [email protected] for Zoom link the folknik Vol. LVII, Number 1 Page 8 January/February 2021

Genre Music Calendars Online

Genre Calendar Bluegrass Bluegrass Signal: concert, jam, class, & radio show listings http://www.bgsignal.com/ Bluegrass California Bluegrass Association (also other calendars) https://www.cbaweb.org/Events/Calendar Bluegrass Northern California Bluegrass Society https://ncbs.info/ Celtic AmeriCeltic: concert, session, & radio show listings https://americeltic.net/ Celtic Celtic Society of Monterey Bay: concert, session, & radio show listings https://www.celticsociety.org/ Celtic CelticSF group, info to join https://groups.io/g/CelticSF Country Dance Country Dance & Song Society (CDSS) https://www.cdss.org/community/covid19/online-events Folk Ministry of Folk: concert, session, & teacher listings https://www.ministryoffolk.com/ Old Time oldtimeSF group, info to join https://groups.io/g/oldtimeSF Sacred Harp Sacred Harp Musical Heritage Association sings and info https://fasola.org/ Ukulele Got a Ukulele: everything uke https://www.gotaukulele.com/ Saw Saw Notes: https://sawnotes.com/

Submissions for next folknik: Deadline: Friday Feb 5. Send items by e-mail to appropriate page editor.

Contributors to this edition of the folknik: Editor-in-Chief, [email protected] Donna Scarlett Guiding Light Faith Petric, 1915-2013 Pages 2-3, [email protected] Marlene McCall Web Site Administrator, [email protected] Daniel Hersh Song Page Editor (Pages 4-5), Barbara Millikan Web Site Developer Valerie Rose Calendar Editor (Pages 7-9), [email protected] Shelby Solomon Membership Secretary, [email protected] Ellen Eagan Co-Editor Bob Loomis

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